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Beowulf: "The Battle with Grendel's Mother"

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 8mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which character does the kenning "Edgetho's brave son" (449) refer to?

a)

Hrothgar

b)

Grendel

c)

Unferth

d)

Beowulf

2.

Who is Unferth?

a)

Hrothgar's closest advisor

b)

A Danish warrior who questioned Beowulf's bravery

c)

A Geat warrior who questioned Beowulf's bravery

d)

A mighty sword

3.

What is Hrunting?

a)

Hrothgar's closest advisor

b)

A Danish warrior who questioned Beowulf's bravery

c)

A Geat warrior who questioned Beowulf's bravery

d)

A mighty sword

4.

True or False? Beowulf fights Grendel's mother alone.

a)

True

b)

False

5.

How does Beowulf reach Grendel and his mother's lair?

a)

He runs.

b)

He swims.

c)

He fights.

d)

He crawls.

6.

Why is Grendel's mother unable to hurt Beowulf?

a)

He is protected by a magic spell.

b)

He is wearing a mail shirt.

c)

He is too quick for her blows.

d)

Her claws are cursed.

7.

When Beowulf attacks Grendel's mother, what problem does he discover?

a)

Grendel's mother can turn invisible.

b)

Grendel's mother is impervious to pain.

c)

Hrunting cannot hurt Grendel's mother.

d)

Hrunting is broken.

8.

Besides the mail shirt, what/who helps Beowulf in battle?

a)

Hrothgar

b)

Grendel

c)

Thor

d)

God

9.

What does Beowulf find to use in his battle with Grendel’s mother? What is special about it?

a)

A sword made by giants

b)

A slingshot made by King David

c)

A giant hammer

d)

An enchanted bow and arrow

10.

How does Beowulf kill Grendel's mother?

a)

He beheads her.

b)

He cuts off her arm.

c)

He stabs her through the heart.

d)

He stabs her through the head.

11.

Before returning to land, what does Beowulf do?

a)

He cuts off Grendel's mother's arm.

b)

He cuts off Grendel's head.

c)

He raids the lair for treasure.

d)

He thanks God.

12.

Before Beowulf returns, what do the warriors on land believe?

"They spoke about Beowulf / All the graybeards, whispered together / And said that hope was gone, that the hero / Had lost fame and his life at once, and would never / Return to the living, come back as triumphant / As he had left; almost all agreed that Grendel's / Mighty mother, the she-wolf, had killed him" (566-572).

a)
They believed that Beowulf had defeated Grendel's mother and was returning as a hero
b)
They believed that Beowulf had decided to abandon his people and never return
c)
They believed that Beowulf had retired and was living a peaceful life
d)

They believed that Grendel's mother had killed him.

13.

Who goes home? Who waits for Beowulf?

a)

The Danes go home; the Geats wait for Beowulf.

b)

The Geats go home; the Danes wait for Beowulf.

c)

Both the Danes and the Geats wait for Beowulf.

d)

Both the Danes and the Geats go home.

14.

Which items does Beowulf take from the lair? (Check all that apply.)

a)

Grendel's head

b)

Grendel's mother's head

c)

The sword hilt

d)

The treasure

15.

How many men does it take to carry Grendel's head?

(a)